Electrical connector

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing with a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly form the base portion. A plurality of contacts being retained in the insulative housing, and a shell surround the tongue portion to form a mating port for receiving a plug connector. A detecting contact is fixed in the insulative housing, the detecting contact has a first detecting terminal at one side of the insulative housing, the first detecting terminal has a first extending portion, a first engaging portion protruding into the mating port, a connecting part connecting with the first extending portion and the first engaging portion, the connecting part is located at the most front of the detecting contact along a front-to-back direction.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly form the base portion;   a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing;   a shell surrounding the tongue portion to form a mating port for receiving a plug; and   a first detecting terminal fixed to a side of the insulative housing, the first detecting terminal including a first extending portion extending forwardly beside the tongue portion, a first engaging portion protruding into the mating port and located upon the first extending portion, an U-shaped connecting part connecting with the first extending portion and the first engaging portion, and located at the most front of the first detecting terminal along a front-to-back direction.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tongue portion has a left side surface at a left side thereof, a right side surface at a right side thereof, a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface and a mating face at a front end thereof, the contacts have a plurality of contacting portions exposed in the bottom surface of the tongue portion, a bottom edge of the first engaging portion does not extend beyond the bottom surface along a vertical direction. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the tongue portion further has a first notch depressing from the left side surface, and the first engaging portion is received in the first notch. 
     
     
         4 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the first detecting terminal has a first end portion extending backwardly from the first engaging portion and near to the shell, the first extending portion has an inclined portion extending outwardly, one end of the U-shaped connecting part connects with the inclined portion. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprises a second detecting terminal retained in another side of the insulative housing, the second detecting terminal has a second extending portion, a second engaging portion extending forwardly from the second extending portion and a second end portion located at a free end thereof, the second engaging portion is much closed to the mating face than that of the first engaging portion. 
     
     
         6 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the tongue portion further has a second notch depressing from the right side surface, the second engaging portion is received in the second notch. 
     
     
         7 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the base portion further comprises a pair of side portions located at two sides thereof and two additional portions located outside of the two side portions respectively, two T-shaped slots are formed between the two side portions and the two addition portions respectively for positioning the detecting contacts. 
     
     
         8 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each of the T-shaped slots includes a first slot extending transversely, a second slot extending vertically and communicating with the first slot, the first detecting terminal and the second detecting terminal each define a horizontal portion retained in corresponding first slot and a retaining portion vertically received in corresponding second slot. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein a bottom edge of the second engaging portion extends beyond the bottom surface of the tongue portion along vertical direction. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein both the first detecting terminal and the second detecting terminal are all located inside of the shell. 
     
     
         11 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the shell has two side walls located at two sides of the mating port, at least one of the side walls is formed with a detecting pad corresponding to the detecting contact. 
     
     
         12 . An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly form the base portion;   a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing;   a shell surrounding the tongue portion and having two side walls located at two sides of the tongue portion, one side wall formed a first detecting pad extending backwardly along a front-to-back direction; and   a detecting terminal retained in a side of the insulative housing and located corresponding to the detecting pad, respectively, the detecting terminal having a detecting arm extending forwardly but located inside of the detecting pad; wherein   the detecting terminal including a first extending portion, a first engaging portion protruding into the mating port, a connecting part having two ends connecting with the first extending portion and the first engaging portion, respectively, the connecting part is located at the most front of the detecting terminal along a front-to-back direction.   
     
     
         13 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the tongue portion has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, two side surfaces connecting with the top and bottom surfaces along a top-to-bottom direction and a mating face at a free end thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the tongue portion further comprises two notches depressing from two side surfaces thereof, one is closed to the mating face of the tongue and the other is closed to a front face of the base portion. 
     
     
         15 . An electrical connector comprising:
 an insulative housing including a base portion with a mating tongue extending forward thereform in a front-to-back direction;   a plurality of contacts disposed in the housing with contacting sections exposed upon the mating tongue;   a metallic shell securely enclosing said housing and including opposite top and bottom walls in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction, and two opposite side walls in a transverse direction perpendicular to both said front-to-back direction and said vertical direction, wherein said top wall, said bottom wall, and said two opposite side walls commonly define a receiving cavity into which said mating tongue with the corresponding contacting sections extend;   a detecting contact disposed in the housing with a detecting arm extending into the receiving cavity with an U-shaped structure at a distal end, said U-shaped structure defining a first arm and a second arm spaced from each other while being linked by a bight under a condition that the first arm is linked to the detecting arm, and an inwardly protruding engaging portion is formed on the second arm; wherein   the inwardly protruding engaging portion is positioned in a path of a metallic shield of a plug which is adapted to be inserted into the receiving cavity, so as to have said detect arm outwardly deflected.   
     
     
         16 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said second arm is further equipped with an end portion adapted to contact one of said top wall, said bottom wall and said two opposite side walls, when the plug is inserted into the receiving cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said one of said top wall, said bottom wall and said two opposite side walls is the side wall, and defines a resilient detecting pad for contacting the detecting contact when said plug is inserted into the receiving cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The electrical connector as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said detecting contact is located beside one of said side walls and deflected in said transverse direction.